DE 100 58 721 C2 discloses an operating light arranged movably on a pivotable ceiling arm system with a light source, which is arranged in a light housing and whose light beams are directed by means of a reflector to a light exit area. A handle, which can be grasped with the hand in order to pivot the operating light into the desired position, is provided at the light exit area.
Similar operating lights are known from DE 10 2004 055 838 A1 and DE 10 2004 055 839 A1. These lights have a light housing, in which two light sources and corresponding reflectors are arranged to direct the light emitted by the light sources to a light exit side of the operating light. An outwardly directed, projecting handle, which can be sterilized and is used to pivot the light, is provided on this light exit side. Furthermore, the handle is rotatable and is connected to a relative incremental transducer, which sends an electric signal to a control unit of the operating light to simultaneously adjust the illumination of both light sources.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,237 describes an operating light, which is arranged on a pivotable ceiling arm system and has a sterile handle at its light exit opening. This handle is rotatable and is designed to mechanically adjust the focus of the light sources. Furthermore, another rotatable switch, which is directly coupled with a voltage regulator to set the intensity of the light sources, is provided at the outer circumferential edge of the light housing.
An operating light, at the light exit opening of which a handle is provided for pivoting the light, is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,105. The handle is provided with a touch-sensitive element, which is coupled with an electronic circuit, which in turn controls a means for setting the concentration of the light beams emitted by the light sources of the light.
EP 1 084 364 B1 likewise pertains to an operating light with a light source arranged in the housing of the light. A handle is also provided here at the light exit area to pivot the light into the desired position. The handle is provided at its distal end with an actuating means, which is used to set the intensity of the light emitted by the light source.
Finally, US 2003/0210559 A1 shows an operating light mounted movably on a swivel arm with a housing, at the light exit opening of which a handle is provided for pivoting the light. The handle is rotatable and is used to focus the light emitted by the light source located in the light housing. A ring-shaped operating element with a plurality of pushbuttons, by means of which the intensity of the light can be set, is provided between the rotatable handle and a transparent pane at the light exit opening. The handle and operating element are surrounded by a sterile protective cover, which is pushed over the handle and operating element before a surgery and is again removed after a surgery and can then be disposed of. When the handle is rotated, the protective cover rotates together with the handle, and a proximal end of the protective cover slides over the pushbuttons.
Consequently, all operating lights according to the state of the art have a handle to pivot the light mounted on a generally known swivel arm system into the desired position. The handle is preferably arranged centrally in a light exit side of the light and has such a size that it can be easily grasped with the hand. The handle must be sterile and may be operated, in general, by the operating physician or surgeon or by a “sterile” nurse only to prevent contamination of the handle. The handle must therefore be sterilized in a sterilizer. As an alternative, the handle may be covered with a sterile protective hood, which is disposed of after the surgery.
Furthermore, it is known that an actuating element in the form of, for example, a switch may be provided at the handle itself. As an alternative, the handle may be designed as a rotatable handle and coupled with a control element, for example, a potentiometer. For example, the intensity of the light source(s) arranged in the light housing can then be varied by means of such a potentiometer. However, such a rotatable handle can also be used to focus the light source(s) onto the desired operating area by mechanically displacing the light source(s) and/or the corresponding reflector or reflectors or more generally optical systems by means of the rotatable handle.
It is usually desirable to have the ability to set a plurality of functions of the operating light. These include, for example, setting the light intensity, color temperature, red contribution, focusing the light emitted onto a desired operating area or even the adjustment of dimming means to change the outer limits of the illuminated operating area. It is known for this from the state of the art that additional operating units or operating means may be provided, which are arranged, for example, at the outer circumferential area of the light to be able to be operated by the hospital staff. These operating units are not usually sterile and must not therefore be touched by the physician or surgeon. Even if these “outer” operating elements are sterilized, there is a risk that “non-sterile” staff members will accidently come into contact with these elements, as a result of which these could become contaminated.
The provision of an actuating means directly in the handle, as this is known from EP 1 084 364 B1, has the drawback that contaminants, which can be removed with difficulty only to guarantee the necessary sterility, may accumulate in the grooves between the actuating means and handle. The complete grip component with integrated actuating means can be designed as a replaceable part, which is replaced with a new and sterile part after each operation. However, such a solution makes the grip component complicated and above all expensive. As an alternative, the grip component with actuating means integrated in the grip can be protected by a sterile protective cover. However, since the material of such a cover must be relatively thick and stable to make it possible to push the protective cover over the grip component, the operatability of the actuating means located under such a cover is highly prone to failure. Furthermore, an actuating means integrated in the grip component implies the risk of incorrect switchings during the positioning of the operating light when the surgeon firmly grasps the handle with his hand to pivot the light and accidentally activates the actuating means in the process.
The design of the handle as a turning handle, which is proposed in the state of the art, usually leads to undesired instabilities between the light housing and handle. Consequently, the axis of rotation of the grip must be mounted in a complicated and stable manner to withstand the forces applied to the grip, which are necessary for pivoting the entire operating light. Furthermore, only one function can be controlled by turning the handle.